Biz Buzz

LONG ISLAND

Party City to add workers

N.J.-based Party City announced Thursday that it is hiring more than 14,000 seasonal workers for the Halloween season. The company said the average store would hire an additional 15 to 50 employees. On Long Island, the company lists stores in Bellport, Carle Place, Commack, Elmont, Islip, Levittown, Massapequa, Melville, New Hyde Park, North Babylon, West Babylon and Woodbury. Applicants can apply online at partycity.com, or at a local Party City store. -- STAFF REPORTS

Verint profit drops 15 percent

Verint Systems Inc. of Melville, which makes software for analyzing intercepted communications, said Thursday its second-quarter profit fell 15 percent, as higher costs offset an increase in revenue. The company said it now expects revenue growth of 9 percent for the current fiscal year, up from its previous prediction of 8 percent. For the quarter ended July 31, Verint reported net income attributable to common shareholders of $6.8 million, or 17 cents per share, compared with $7.9 million, or 23 cents per share, in the same quarter last year. Sales rose 7.9 percent to $195 million from $180.7 million in the year-ago period. Excluding one-time items, the company said it posted an adjusted profit of $24.9 million, or 57 cents per share, compared with an adjusted $27.6 million, or 69 cents per share. The recent quarter's adjusted revenue totaled $195.7 million. -- AP

Report: 10 percent of borrowers late

In June, 1 out of every 10 mortgage borrowers on Long Island was at least 90 days late, but only 1 out of every 20 was in the foreclosure process, according to Core Logic. The Island's delinquency rate in June was just shy of 10 percent, compared with 9.8 percent a year earlier, the report said. The foreclosure rate was 5.9 percent, slightly up from May and up from 4.4 percent a year earlier. The delinquency rate is higher, because lenders are not starting foreclosure files on everyone who's 90 days late. That used to be an automatic trigger for foreclosure. On Long Island, the delinquency and foreclosure rates have been slowly but steadily climbing since January 2009. Back then, the delinquency rate was 5.5 percent and the foreclosure rate 2.5 percent, the report said. -- ELLEN YAN

Pall Corp. to aid Senegal

Pall Corp. of Port Washington has set up a pilot water-filtration project to target the chronic public health problem of fluorosis, or fluoride overdose, in remote villages in the nation of Senegal. Pall Corp. is working there in partnership with University Cheikh Anta Diop, in Dakar, and a Catholic religious order, the Discalced Carmelites. Production of such solar-powered, low-energy use systems could provide a significant market for Pall worldwide. High levels of naturally occurring fluoride in water causes decay to teeth and bones in vast regions of the world, including Africa, China, India and the Middle East, the World Health Organization says. -- JOSEPH MALLIA

NATION

Unemployment claims rise

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up slightly last week, evidence that the job market isn't improving. Weekly applications for unemployment benefits rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 414,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. The report suggests companies aren't significantly increasing layoffs, despite weak economic growth. But it also signals that little hiring is taking place. Applications need to fall below 375,000 to indicate sustainable job growth. They haven't been below that level since February. The four-week average, a less-volatile measure, increased for the third straight week to 414,750. All told, about 7.2 million people received benefits in the week ended Aug. 20, the latest data available. -- AP